National Register Evaluation of the Keystone Lock and Dam, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.

This document presents the background research, field inspection and findings from a National Register of Historic Places evaluation of the Keystone Lock and Dam in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. Construction of the Keystone Lock and Dam, located on Bayou Teche, was begun in 1910 and the facility opened in 1913. Faced with economic hardships stemming from the decline of the steamboat industry and the completion of the railroad at Lafayette, the residents of St. Martinville, Louisiana, sought to improve their situation by making the upper Teche navigable to barges, thus attracting industry to the area. Several area residents who owned property adjacent to Bayou Teche donated land in anticipation of great benefits to the local population that would result from the construction of the Keystone Lock and Dam. The original facility consisted of a 175 foot dam and lock with an overall length of 229 feet. The lock had a 160 foot chamber and gate bays at the north and south ends. Based on a thorough review of the area and facility history as well as the facility itself, the Keystone Lock and Dam is recommended as eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Preservation is strongly recommended, but, if preservation is not feasible, Historic American Engineering Record documentation is recommended as a mitigative alternative.